1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to retrievers for sports objects and in particular to a long distance retriever for golf discs which folds up to fit in a pocket of a golf disc bag or any other kind of carrying sack.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disc golf is gaining popularity and more courses are being set up to offer this alternative to traditional golf. The same primary obstacle exists on both of these courses: the water hazard. Many golf balls are lost in water hazards. Often the golf players don""t even attempt to retrieve them. But a golf disc costs many times the price of a golf ball and they are significantly larger. Golf discs are not meant to be disposable and would create unnecessary debris if left behind on a course. The players in disc golf are also far less likely to be carrying as many discs as traditional golfers carry golf balls.
Therefore the disc golfer is far more likely to want to retrieve discs which fly into water hazards, as well as flying into other difficult to access locations.
There have been many attempts to provide golf ball retrievers. None of them would be very effective in retrieving golf discs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,807, issued Oct. 4, 1966 to Ward, indicates a golf ball retriever with a rectangular frame and back rail with a triangulated wire lead and a pull line, for capturing and retrieving golf balls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,841, issued Apr. 30, 1996 to Allen, shows a golf ball retriever device and method of using same for recovering golf balls from a water hazard. The device comprises an open frame portion having a pair of longitudinal frame members and a plurality of interconnecting ball catching members. The ball catching members are spaced to entrap golf balls while allowing smaller objects in the water hazard to pass through. The device further includes an extension portion having a tie end located forwardly of the open frame portion. A tether cord of a predetermined length is attached to the tie end of the extension portion. After being thrown into the water hazard to a location beyond the golf ball to be retrieved, the tether cord is pulled so that the golf ball is entrapped and thereby recovered. The extension portion helps the device maintain a correct orientation while it is pulled without digging into the soft bottom of the water hazard. Preferably, the extension portion is also removable so that the device can be made compact for storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,644, issued Sep. 4, 1973 to Rydberg, is for a drag scoop and line for retrieval of golf balls from water hazards using parallel top and bottom plates and side rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,836, issued Jan. 15, 1991 to Redding, provides a rugged self-contained tool for performing golf ball retrieval from remote and otherwise inaccessible areas of a water hazard comprising a plurality of rigidly mounted, ball-pinching, spaced, resilient discs upon an axle supported rotatably by and between the ends of a one-half rectangular cooperating ball-confining frame. The tool can be deployed by casting same into remote or otherwise inaccessible areas retaining control thereof by means of a cord attached to an eyelet centrally located on the frame, which cord, when pulled steadily, rolls the tool upon the bottom of the water hazard returning the tool and its retained contents to the user. The frame of the tool provides hydroplaning downward pressure on the tool and the discs have multiple straight sides at their outer peripheries to provide traction with the bottom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,350, issued Nov. 29, 1994 to Ader, claims an improved multiple purpose golf ball retriever for retrieving golf balls from water hazards. The device comprises an elongated head which has a forward frame, rear frame, upper frame and side frames. The elongated head""s handle mount can be permanently attached to a telescoping handle. The telescoping handle is attached to the handle mount on the upper frame offset from its center at a compound angle which aids capturing the ball in the raking mode while also facilitating the use of a wood or putter cover and ease of storage in the golf bag. The side frames inside diameters are slightly smaller than a golf ball which enables the golf ball retriever to capture the ball by going down over the ball from either side at any angle. The retriever can be used as a rake in clear or blind locations and from either side at any angle for clear water or rocky weedy and hazardous water areas that restrict the raking action.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,168, issued May 5, 1992 to Petrillo, describes a golf ball retriever includes a head part having a forward frame part and a rear frame part. The forward frame part has upper and lower parallel leading members defining a rectangular mouth opening sufficiently wide to allow a retrieved golf ball to enter. The rear frame part has a lower trailing member which defines a rear seat edge parallel to the lower leading member. The seat edge is spaced from the lower leading member a distance slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball. Retrieved golf balls that enter the mouth opening are then seated or cradled securely between the rear seat edge and the lower leading member, and will thus tend to remain in place as the retriever continues to be moved about. A detachable handle, which may include a golf club or a telescoping pole, can be easily clamped to the head part when needed. Tooth-like projections extending from the forward leading member help to dislodge golf balls embedded in land or out of view in the bottom surface of a pond. The projections can also serve as a sand rake.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,220, issued Jul. 12, 1994 to McPherson, discloses a ball retriever for retrieving a ball has a handle receiving member and at least two parallelly disposed ovoid ball barriers attached to the handle receiving member. At least one ball restraining member is attached to at least one ball barrier. At least two ball barrier support members connect the ball barriers. A ball receiving chamber, having a ball receiving port, is formed by the ball barriers and the ball restraining member. A handle lock mechanism, on the handle receiving member, releasably locks an extendible handle to the handle receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,591, issued Oct. 20, 1998 to Rubinstein, indicates a golf ball retriever having a dual entry for receiving a golf ball. In an exemplary embodiment, the golf ball retriever includes a substantially rectangular open wire frame head having a plurality of sufficiently closed sides forming a receiving area capable of retaining a golf ball substantially therein and two openings on adjacent perpendicular sides that are capable of receiving a golf ball therethrough and into the receiving area.
While many of these golf ball retrievers are effective for retrieving golf balls, they would not work to retrieve a flat large diameter golf disc. What is needed is a golf disc retriever for dredging water hazards for lost golf discs.
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever which can be thrown varying distances to enable retrieval of a golf disc from a large, medium or small water hazard.
A related object of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever which effectively dredges the bottom of water hazards to scoop up a golf disc, capturing and holding the disc in an upright horizontally elongated rectangular frame with elongated triangular arms attached to a long line for pulling the disc through the water.
An added object of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever with a flat wire frame and two pivotable triangular wire leads that pivot forward to receive the rope tied through a loop at the end of each lead for pulling the disc retriever and pivot down flat on the rectangular frame so that the cord may be wrapped around the folded flat retriever for easy and rapid storage and transport in a pocket of a golf disc bag or any other kind of carrying sack.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever wherein the triangulated pivotable leads are sized and angled to enable the frame to ride through the water along the bottom of the hazard with the frame in an upright horizontally elongated orientation to capture the golf disc.
A beneficial object of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever sized slightly smaller than a traditional golf disc so that the rectangular frame may effectively capture a lost disc by not allowing the disc to entirely pass through the rectangular opening.
In brief, a rectangular flat wire frame has an opening large enough to admit and retain a golf disc in the rectangle. Thick wired triangular leads each have wrapped wire connections around the vertical ends of the frame adjacent to a top and bottom horizontal members of the frame to permit pivoting of the triangular leads between a flat with the frame storage position and a forward extended position with the two triangular leads touching at a forward end. A rope is tied through a loop at the forward end of each triangular lead. The disc retriever is thrown into the water hazard just beyond the position of the lost disc in the water. The rope pulls the retriever back through the water horizontally along the bottom of the water hazard and the retriever scoops up and retrieves the disc by capturing the disc in the upright horizontally elongated rectangular frame.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever which can be thrown varying distances to enable retrieval of a golf disc in the middle of a large, medium or small water hazard.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever which effectively dredges the bottom of water hazards to scoop up a golf disc, capturing and holding the disc in an upright horizontally elongated rectangular frame.
A related advantage of the present invention is the adaptability of the long leader line, for pulling the golf disc, to varying golf course conditions such as water hazard depth and distance.
A practical advantage of the present invention is the golf disc retriever rectangular frame and two pivotable triangular wire leads which pivot down flat on the rectangular frame so that the cord may be wrapped around the folded flat retriever with ease and rapidity during a Frisbee golf game for easy storage and transport in a pocket of a golf disc bag or any other kind of carrying sack.
One more advantage of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever wherein the triangulated pivotable leads are sized and angled to enable the frame to ride through the water along the bottom of the hazard with the frame in an upright horizontally elengated orientation to capture the golf disc.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a golf disc retriever sized slightly smaller than a traditional golf disc so that the rectangular frame may effectively capture a lost disc by not allowing the disc to entirely pass through the rectangular opening.